Childhood physical abuse changes a child's brain and affects learning, behavior

The child that gets hit by a parent or a peer today can be the adult that faces physical and mental health problems tomorrow. On October 16, 2012, the Society for Neuroscience published its findings that childhood physical abuse has life-long effects on a child’s brain, learning, and behavior that can last into adulthood.

The findings presented during Neuroscience 2012, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in New Orleans, are especially important for parents of special needs children, bullied children, or otherwise vulnerable children because those children often appear to be easy targets.

The Society of Neuroscience is the world’s largest source of emerging news about brain science and health and is supported by national funding agencies such as the National Institutes of Health and private and philanthropic organizations

According to the Society for Neuroscience’s research findings, childhood physical abuse alters the physical shape of a child’s brain. The brain regions affected by childhood physical abuse include regions controlling the heart, cardiovascular activity, arterial blood pressure, intellect, as well as other brain areas responsible for physical and emotional health.

Press conference moderator Bruce McEwen, PhD from the Rockefeller University and an expert on stress and its effects on early brain development stated that

“While we are becoming fully aware, in general, of the devastating impact that early life adversity has on the developing brain, today’s findings reveal specific changes in targeted brain regions and the long-lasting nature of these alterations… this research points not only to new directions for the improved detection and treatment of resulting cognitive impairment, mental health disorders, and chronic diseases, but also emphasizes the importance of preventing early life abuse and neglect in the first place.”

The first and most important agent in preventing childhood abuse and neglect is ideally a parent. However, when parents are either physically or emotionally unavailable, teachers are often the next possible advocates for a child. For parents or teachers, noticing any kind of changes in a child’s usual behavior, academic performance, or social interactions might be the first indicator of possible childhood physical abuse.

Because of shame, guilt, self-blame, or bullying some children might not communicate physical abuse and carry the dire consequences into adulthood. The less children can speak for themselves, the more adults have to speak for them.

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